Geography of Istanbul

August 31, 2009 09:30 by haci

Location
Istanbul is located in the north-west Marmara Region of Turkey. It encloses the southern Bosphorus which places the city on two continents—the western portion of Istanbul is in Europe, while the eastern portion is in Asia. The city boundaries cover a surface area of 1,830.92 square kilometres (707 sq mi), while the metropolitan region, or the Province of Istanbul, covers 6,220 square kilometres (2,402 sq mi).

Geology
Istanbul is situated near the North Anatolian fault line, which runs from northern Anatolia to the Marmara Sea. Two tectonic plates, the African and the Eurasian, push against each other here. This fault line has been responsible for several deadly earthquakes in the region throughout history. In 1509 a catastrophic earthquake caused a tsunami which broke over the sea-walls of the city, destroying over 100 mosques and killing 10,000 people. In 1766 the Eyüp Sultan Mosque was largely destroyed. The 1894 earthquake caused the collapse of many parts of the Grand Bazaar. A devastating earthquake on August 17, 1999, with its epicenter in nearby İzmit, left 18,000 dead and many more homeless. In all of these earthquakes, the devastating effects are a result of the building density and poor construction of buildings. Seismologists predict another earthquake, possibly measuring magnitude 7.0, occurring before 2025.

Flora
Istanbul like the Marmara region it is situated in is characterized by a temperate climate as well as a "transitional climate", midway between that of the oceanic climate of the Black Sea, the humid continental climate of the Balkan peninsula and the mediterranean climate of the southwest. This is also reflected in its plant geography since flora of these three regions flourish here. Istanbul is one of the provinces that best illustrates this aspect of the Marmara region. Thanks to the constantly very humid climate of Istanbul, plants of the Europe-Siberia region are concentrated here, especially in the northern areas near the Black Sea coast. An increase in mediterranean flora is observed in the warmer areas to the south of the city especially on the Princes' Islands, the only place in Istanbul with a mediterranean vegetation.

With around 2500 different natural plant species, Istanbul alone puts European countries such as the whole of the United Kingdom in the shade in this respect. Even more importantly, this means that in Istanbul approximately one-fourth of the more than ten thousand documented plants that grow naturally in Turkey; some of these plants are endemic, in other words, they live only in Istanbul and nowhere else in the whole world.[26]

Climate
Snow is common in winter.Istanbul has a temperate climate.

In summer the weather in Istanbul is hot and humid, the temperature between June and September averaging 28°C (82°F). During winter it is cold, wet and often snowy, averaging 5°C (42°F). The humidity of the city is constantly high which makes the air feel much harsher than the actual temperatures.

Average annual precipitation is 693 mm (27 in). Summer is the driest season, although there is no real summer drought as rain does occur all year round, and so the climate cannot be considered mediterranean. Snowfall is quite common between the months of December and March, snowing for a week or two, but it can be heavy once it snows. The city is also quite windy, having an average wind speed of 17 km/h (11 mph).


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